Part Eight

December 2011

Driving through the city streets of Sunnydale, Xander Harris felt on top of the world. It had been just over four months since he had arrived back in Sunnydale. Finally in the last couple of months he had started to feel back at home.

He had never moved out of the spare room at Dawn's house. He felt comfortable there, and she never gave the slightest indication that she wanted him to move out. So instead he started looking after the house. Doing all of the general housework, fixing up the gardens, building little things for the place and preparing dinner for Dawn when she got home from her new job.

But a week ago, Xander came to the realisation that his savings, such as they were, had started to dwindle to the level of nothing. He had to get a job. That worried him a great deal. The career in the building industry was over ten years ago, and even if they counted that experience, he was sure it was all out of date to be of any use.

It was on one of his trips into town to check the employment boards that Xander's luck changed. He almost literally ran into an old work mate of his. Of course that meant he had another person to tell about where exactly he had been for 10 years. The mountains of Peru had become the favourite scenario for Xander's explanation of the last decade. So after recounting his exploits, and having given ample time for the initial shock to die down, Xander asked what his friend had been up to. He felt like screaming thank-you to the gods, when his friend informed him that had his own business in the construction industry and was actually at the employment office looking for new employees.

The new job was starting on Monday and all his friend wanted to know was if he was free. So they went to lunch at one of the local hotel's, caught up over old times and hashed out a pay deal and benefits. After it was all done, Xander had only one thought. He wanted to get home and let Dawn no the good news.

Pulling up at her house, he applied the handbrake and turned the engine off, virtually skipping out of the car and up the path to the front door. He hoped she would be home by now, as having to wait for Dawn to come home would kill him at present. Especially as he had already decided that tonight would be the night to tell her how he was feeling.

"Dawn!" he shouted as he walked through the front door.

"I'm in the kitchen," Dawn shouted back. She had only just got home and was busy going through the mail that had arrived.

Xander placed his jacket down, and walked into the kitchen, the grin on his face as large as it was possible to be. He saw Dawn sitting at the table and if possible, he smiled even more.

"Guess what?" he asked, standing next to her.

"Don't know, what?" Dawn replied, not looking at him, hiding her grin from his glare. It didn't take a mind reader for Dawn to know that he was dying to tell her something. She could read his mood from every different inflection in his voice. It might be a little cruel, but she wanted to see how far he would go, till he told her. It was a sort of game that Dawn loved playing with him.

Xander would have been a little put out by Dawn's display of lack of caring, if he hadn't been in such a good mood. "Common guess?" He tried again to get her attention.

"You bought me a present," Dawn replied innocently, still not looking at him, and hiding the fact she was almost laughing.

"No!" Xander said a little more exasperated. He was going to try one more time to get her too look at him, when he noticed Dawn's shoulders moving slightly up and down. He knew that sign. She was laughing and trying to hide it. Seeing as how she wasn't facing him he took a step closer to her, pacing quietly, before reaching down and tickling her around her ribs. "You think it's funny do you?" he said with a laugh.

"No, get away from me," Dawn shrieked as she tried to move out of Xander's reach and around the other side of the table. After a couple of struggles and getting a few tickles in on Xander for good measure, she managed to break free and moved to the relative safety of the other side. "You just wait Xander" she stated, not really happy that he was the one laughing at her now.

Xander didn't notice and probably would have kept on laughing for a while longer, except he felt himself starting to hyperventilate. Taking a seat he settled himself down. The lack of breath had dulled a little of his enthusiasm. "I got myself a job," he finally sated after feeling as though he could breath well again.

Dawn, stopped joking around. She knew that Xander had been worried about getting a job, and it was no wonder he had been so excited. She moved around to the other side of the table. "Oh, Xan, that's great," she said as she moved in to give him a hug.

Xander accepted the hug, and held onto her for a few seconds before letting go. "So anyway, I was wondering if you would like to go out and celebrate?" he asked casually.

"Of course, I would," Dawn replied.

"How about I make reservations at Gulios?" Xander asked, speaking of their favourite Italian restaurant.

"Sounds great. I'll go and start getting ready then." Dawn looked at Xander closely. She wasn't sure, but she almost felt that he wanted to tell her something. But after a few seconds the feeling ended so she got up to go upstairs. "I'm really happy for you Xander."

Xander watched her leave, feeling every one of his words in his heart. He shook his head. "I'm in deep trouble."

***************

As Dawn let the hot water cascade down her body, she wondered not for the first time it Xander had started to see her in a different light. She had taken Cordelia's warning to heart and toned down her need of Xander to conform to what she had expected. The greatest thing was that by doing that, the two of them really started to communicate. They started socialising together, going to movies, out to dinner. Dawn loved every minute of it. But she wondered if that was all Xander saw her as. A dear friend. Not that there was anything wrong with that. She wouldn't swap what the last few months had brought her for anything in the world. But she did wonder if maybe there was no future for the both of them. And if that was the case, maybe it was time to move on and see if there was someone else out there.

'Yeah right, when Xander is sleeping not more that 5 metres away,' she thought, realising that unless Xander moved out, her thoughts would always be tied to him. She wondered if that was what it would take.

She turned off the tap and reached out for a towel, drying herself off with it, before stepping out of the shower. She looked at herself in the mirror and shook her head.

"Time to get over it girl," she told herself.

**********************

Xander had already gotten himself ready and was waiting for Dawn when she appeared at the top of the staircase.

"Whoa," he breathed as she started down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, he added, "You look great."

Dawn smiled appreciatively at his compliment. "And yourself," she returned.

Xander took it gratefully, but he knew he had not put anywhere near the effort into getting ready as she had.

"So shall we go," Dawn said as she intertwined her arm with Xander's.

"Sure," Xander said, having no intention of moving his arm till he had to.

********************

The dinner had been wonderful for both of them. The food of course had been magnificent, but the time they spent just idly chatting to each other had been the thing they would both remember from this night.

For both of them it had been the catalyst for a decision that had to be made.

As Xander pulled into the driveway, part of him didn't want this night to end. He knew that if he didn't say anything they would go inside, say goodnight and he at least would lie in bed, mentally kicking himself for not having any backbone.

He couldn't do that again. He turned to Dawn to tell her, when she opened the door on her side of the car, and got out. Xander cursed under his breath and did the same, clicking on the key lock when both doors were shut.

He followed Dawn up the path, to the front door, a little worried as to why she seemed to be in a hurry to get inside.

Dawn opened the door, and went through. She wanted to talk to Xander and find out what his feelings were, and the sooner they were inside the better. She placed her bag on the coffee table, and turned to see Xander had already come inside.

He had a slightly puzzled look on his face, as if he knew she was going to say something.

"Umm, Xander," Dawn started, not looking forward to where this conversation would be going. As much as she loved the status quo, she needed to hear form Xander's own mouth what he was feeling. Otherwise it might start to drive her crazy.

Xander however was even less patient, than Dawn was at that moment. "Wait," he interrupted, "I have to say something, before you do."

He did however wait for Dawn to reply, which she did by nodding her head, before continuing. However now that he was put on the spot, he suddenly found the words stuck in his throat.

"Umm, Dawn," Xander started, "How about you take a seat." It was a sort of cowardly way to start, but Xander felt more comfortable with her sitting down. Maybe it was because it would take more effort for her to run away if she was sitting down, or maybe it just soothed his nerves. Xander didn't know, but when Dawn was seated he knew it was now or never. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to find the words to articulate exactly what he was feeling.

"I've been thinking about you and I, and I need to say stuff," Xander inwardly swore at his choice of phrase.

Dawn's throat refluxed, fearing the worse.

"I, and please don't freak out, have more than friendly feelings for you," Xander said, rushing the last part and closing his eyes in case Dawn freaked out and ran out of the room screaming. That was something he didn't need to see.

After a couple of seconds, when it became obvious that there was no screaming, he opened his eyes to find her just looking at him. He tried to decipher her feelings from that look, but this time he was unable to.

"Umm, well I'll take the fact you can still look at me as a sign you're not to weirded out." With that Xander sat down, feeling all the weight lifted off his shoulders. At least until he had told her.

"Xan," Dawn stated, her voice almost breaking. The tone caused Xander too look up. His heart hurt and the thought he had wrecked their friendship. He was about to apologise when she suddenly jumped up from her seat and landed in Xander's lap. At his surprised look, she kissed him softly on the mouth, letting the sensation run though her lips for a second before pulling back.

"Do you know how long I have been waiting to hear you say that?" she asked, her face now with an almost permanent smile.

Xander took a second to reply, his thoughts still getting used to her response, not to mention the feel of her lips on his.

"Ahh, sorry, still in shock here." Seeing the look she gave him, he added quickly, "very nice shock, extremely nice and welcome shock."

Dawn smiled again and moved down to kiss him. This time Xander was ready and met her lips with equal passion.

Since there wasn't anybody in the room with them, no-one could be sure, but it was an even money bet they didn't move for ages.

End Part Eight